The 10 Questions Smart Car Owners Get Asked Constantly

Updated on July 27, 2014

If you own one of these cars, people have plenty of questions for you. | Source

I love my Smart car. I bought it about 6 months ago, and it has been a really fun, dependable vehicle to own. Part of the fun of owning a Smart car is that people want to talk to you about it wherever you go. I literally probably get stopped two or three times a day by someone who is curious about my car....or has an opinion to offer about it. Here's what I get asked the most by random strangers.

1) Is that thing safe? People who have never met me before in my life, and who I will most likely never see again, become alarmingly concerned about my personal safety when they see what I drive. The answer to the question is "Yes." Smart cars are very safe. There are tens of millions of them on the road worldwide and they are engineered from the ground up for safety. The black or silver "strip" you see that goes around the side of the car is actually a roll cage, just like they use in race cars, so you are well protected during a crash.

2) What's the gas mileage like on that? Answer: AMAZING. It can vary a little based on terrain and air conditioner use, but I usually get anywhere from 36 to 45 miles per gallon. It costs about $30 to fill up my tank all the way with premium gas, and that $30 fill up will easily last me for a week. The gas mileage really is one of the best parts of owning a Smart car.

3)Is your car electric? People sometimes seem really surprised when they see me filling up with gas, and tell me that they thought smart cars are electric. Most aren't, although they did just start making electric Smart cars last year which are now available nationwide!

4) Aren't you afraid you'll die driving that? No more than driving any other car. See question #1.

5) Can you even fit in that thing? No, I can't....I bought a car that I can't fit inside of. Actually, yes, I can fit, and it's actually quite roomy inside. After awhile, you forget that there's no back seat and it really does feel like any other car.

6) Did you build that? Yes, a couple of older people have actually asked me this question. It's not a go-kart. You go to the dealer and buy one just like any other car. Smart cars are actually produced by Mercedes Benz, so it's not just some fly-by-night operation, and you can rest assured you're getting a solid vehicle.

7) Can you get on the highway with that? I'm not sure if people think it's like a bicycle or what, but yes, I managed to get to downtown Baltimore (or whatever suburb I happen to be in), so it's pretty safe to say I can drive on the highway with my car.

8) Did you see that thing on the news about people tipping Smart cars?Yes, I did. I thought it was kinda amusing. But I wouldn't think it was funny if it happened to my car. It's unsettling to come out of your house or a restaurant and hear people standing near your car and talking about tipping it over, which has definitely happened to me on more than one occasion.

9) Is that thing safe? Yes. I really promise you, it's not a death trap. Please refer to questions #1 and #4.

10) How much did your car cost? I cannot tell you the number of complete strangers who have asked me how much I paid for my Smart car. I understand the curiosity, but come on people, use a little common courtesy. Just for reading this article, I'll let you in on a little secret...the sticker price on my car was $8900 at CarMax. It's a 2009 and had about 60k miles on it.

So there you have it. The most frequently asked questions I get when driving around my Smart car, and hopefully some informative and humorous answers for you. Do you own a Smart car? What absurd questions have you been asked? Leave your best ones in the comments field below!